While I am skeptical about some of the things people do in their efforts to "save the earth" (especially when it involves small groups of rich and extravagant folks telling or even compelling everyone else to live with less), I am all in favor of voluntary efforts to conserve and be responsible with scarce resources. I think it would be wise for local Church leaders to increasingly consider these issues - especially since many members are being compelled to live with less. Take home teaching, for example. When a home teacher is given five or six families to visit, do they all have to be scattered across the extreme ends of the ward? Why not favor geographical groupings, when it makes sense, to reduce travel time? Would it be wrong for some home teaching visits to take place in the Church before or after a Church event to reduce travel for home teachers? Why not do some leadership meetings by teleconference or web meetings?

While I think the surprisingly low price of gasoline we are enjoying with the economic downturn will be a short-lived phenomenon, even cheap $1.50 gas is a lot for people who have lost their jobs and have home teaching assignments that can take 100 miles or more a month of travel (not unrealistic in many parts of the world). Making Church work more energy efficient, when feasible, sounds like a good idea to me.

Do you have other ideas for how we can be more energy efficient and environmentally conscious? Apart from doing baptisms in cold water - there ought to be a little comfort provided for a new member's first few moments in the Kingdom.
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